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Introduction
The wind and weather we experience are a consequence of horizontal pressure gradients. Weather is a dynamic process, since pressure drives the wind and the wind in turn alters the pressure distribution. This module discusses the different ways that the air responds to pressure gradients on a small scale and on a large scale, defines and explains geostrophic balance, and describes how to infer the large-scale wind pattern from maps of pressure or height.
Learning Objectives
- To understand the causes of horizontal accelerations experienced by air parcels
- To understand geostrophic balance
- To understand how geostrophic balance is maintained
- To understand how surface friction modifies geostrophic balance
- To be able to infer wind patterns from large-scale pressure or height distributions
Table of Contents
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